Germany's Hamburg Airport Closed Over 'Hostage Situation' After Armed Man Storms Tarmac, Fires Shots

A man broke through the security gates of Hamburg Airport in Germany and stormed onto tarmac while also firing two shots in the air after which the airport was closed for operations.

Heavily armed forces secure access to the terminals at Hamburg Airport during an operation

Source : Getty Images

A suspected hostage situation at Germany’s Hamburg Airport led to the closure of the airport after an armed man drove through the security barrier and onto the tarmac. According to the federal police, the man fired twice in the air with a weapon. The police also said that the man's wife had previously contacted them regarding a possible child abduction, according to German news agency dpa.

"We are on site with a large contingent of emergency services. We are currently assuming a static hostage situation," Hamburg police said on X. 

++AKTUELL++
Derzeit kommt es auf dem Rollfeld des @HamburgAirport zu einem größeren Polizeieinsatz.
Wir sind mit einem Großaufgebot an Einsatzkräften vor Ort.
Aktuell gehen wir von einer statischen Geisellage aus.

Nähere Informationen folgen.#Hamburg #HamburgAirport pic.twitter.com/dGOml6Ovzw

— Polizei Hamburg (@PolizeiHamburg) November 4, 2023

Later, the police said that the 35-year-old man had a 4-year-old child inside the car, assuming him to be the man’s son who took the child by force from the mother in a possible custody battle, the report added. 

In a statement, the police said they believed "that a custody dispute is the background to this operation".

According to a BBC report, the suspect shot twice in the air and threw burning bottles from the vehicle, the police added. 

Following the incident, a large number of officers from the state and federal police reached the site and were in the vicinity of the car, Federal police spokesman Thomas Gerbert told the German new agency. 

A psychologist was also talking to the man, said the police, adding that there were no indications that other people could be harmed since all passengers had evacuated the airport. 

All departures and arrivals at the airport have been halted, reported BBC.